Refreshing Words from a Christian
Jesse Walker | December 9, 2005, 9:55am
I said everything I have to say about this "War on Christmas" crap last year, so this December I'll turn the microphone over to Ryan McMaken, who unlike me actually follows the faith that's allegedly under attack:
Since American Christianity has often been a most bland, tacky, and stripped down version of the real thing, it seems Americans have a thing for filling in the holes with efforts at blending the religious and the civic. Who cares if the government buildings have a nativity scene on their front steps? I sure don't. In fact I sure don't want my tax dollars paying for the upkeep of decorations. Leave the government buildings undecorated. Let's not pretend that the government has ever had the best interests of the faith in mind. Then there are those parades that cost untold amounts of police overtime pay. I'd agree that "Holiday Parades" are stupid. They should be "Christmas" parades because that is what they are. But why have a parade at all? There are plenty of processions and rites to mark any holy day at my parish. When it's a religious holiday, I know it. I'd be overjoyed if every house in my street had a nativity scene out front, but I sure don't need the government or the check-out girl at Target to remind me it's Christmas or to make it "joyous."...
When I walk in my house, or the homes of my friends or family during Christmas season, it's pretty clear that it's Christmas, a Christian Holy day. No one says Happy Holidays. I have plenty of religious ceremonies to attend, plenty of devotions to participate in, and plenty of prayers to say, and I don't have some pathetic need for others to validate my Holidays. If they share my faith, wonderful. If not, that's too bad for them. But I have better things to do than get my religious validation in the check out line at the grocery store.
Read the whole thing. His best line is about Wal-Mart: "I'm there to shop, not have a religious experience."
VM | December 9, 2005, 3:35pm | #
" but I don't think I've ever met the 'violent-Jesus' before.... is that like an evil twin?"
with goatee and everything :)
(what you're otherwise describing - at least with mainstream religions of the 70s and 80s was what my school did. if a culture represented at the school had an important day, we'd get to celebrate and learn about it, too. it was always framed as a positive aspect of this wonderful world we have - i still know more chanukah songs than christmas ones. grin)
back to VJ (violent jesus) the man could get tough - he busted up that temple and all. but yeah - the violent, punishing jesus is a bit much for this citizen, too. (although, how many fundies use religion as a weapon of punishment and of control?)
but: some of the crass sides of xmas are a but much for me, too. i try to sit out most of the stuff on the sidelines. and i do say whatever holiday greeting is appropriate. funny true story: a jewish buddy of mine wished someone whom he thought also to be jewish a happy chanukah, only to find out that it was a fairly strong fundie type who was insulted out the wazoo. snicker.
and crimethink: i feel your pain, partially, at least (best i can do) - and i can imagine how bad easter must annoy you, considering that's the most holy day in the christian calendar!
there is a secular "christmas" in our culture. it apparently is bigger than the various, fragmented religious ones. and that's fine. otherwise, we could get into it with how one celebrates (which days, is the epiffany important, etc), and all. it's too messy - thanks to Larry A for highlighting that :)
merry christmas!
Jim Nelson | December 11, 2005, 2:39pm | #
In the modern world it is contracting.
Please. Christianity is growing worldwide. It is particularly exploding in the third world. In America it remains pretty steady. This is partly due to a lot of Christian immigration, but then the same reason can be given for the decline of Christianity in Europe. The reason it has declined there is largely due to falling birth rates and a high level of Islamist immigration. There is some even some dispute as to whether Islam is really the fastest growing religion in the world when spread by way of conversion. It is growing fast of course, but much of this is because most Muslim nations have high birth rates.
That's a flat out lie and has no basis in the historical record and is as moronic as those who claim that American law is based on the Decalogue...You are confusing the rhetoric of the American revolution, and specifically one text associated with it, with every other revolution. I don't recall the Velvet Revolution discussing such after all (just by way of example).
Reread the documents associated with the American Revolution and the founding of this country. You will find reams of references to tyranny as being opposed to the Will of God. Even the sceptic Thomas Paine, in
The Crisis, Number 1 wrote, "I have as little superstition in me as any man living, but my secret opinion has ever been, and still is, that God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent. Neither have I so much of the infidel in me as to suppose that He has relinquisheed the government of the world, and given us up to the care of devils; and as I do not, I cannot see on what grounds the king of Britain can look up to heaven for help against us."
Not enough? Look at the motivations of abolitionists. To pick one example William Lloyd Garrison, who was moved by his Christian faith. The Civil Rights movement? Ditto.
Your examples are largely based on the charitable works of Christians (which have always been problematic in and of themselves given that charity and oppressive empire have generally been synonomous)
Please, enlighten me on the imperial aspirations of the Christian Children's Fund.
Aside from atheists being murdered by Christians?
Not really relevant to the question I asked, but if you want to bring up persecution, okay. Communism anyone?
How about the large number of scientists who are atheists?
Oh, right, I forgot about all the scientists who do their research in the name of atheism. Those who investigate nature in the furtherance of their atheist duties. Let me ask you something. Do you think it possible that their scientific devotion might be to a, you know, devotion to science rather than to atheism?
Also, let me blunt about this, charity does not fix the problems creating the need for it, its at best a very paternalistic, insulting form of temporary relief.
Yes, the the third world children who were starving and now have food, shelter and clothing must feel truly insulted. What do you want the missionaries to do? Open factories in totalitarian countries? Even if this were feasible and they did it you would soon be accusing them of operating sweatshop labor.
